Seat post construction for chairs



Sept. 15, 1953 G. D. WOOD 2,652,272

SEAT POST CONSTRUCTION FOR CHAIRS Filed Jan. 8. 1952 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAT POST CONSTRUCTION FOR CHAIRS Glenn D. Wood, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Posture Research poration of Indiana Application January 8, 1952, Serial No.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements, in seat post construction for chairs and it consists of the matter hereinafter described and more para free turning movement of the said supporting member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of this kind in which'the adjustment for the post relative to its supporting member may be quickly made by inexperienced persons and without the use of hand tools or the ike.

A further object o The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well Institute, Inc,

Elkhart, Ind., a cor- Fig. 5 is a plan view of a certain locking membe:- employed in the improved construction for will be more fully described later.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention, I 0 indicates as a whole the seat post which supports a seat (not shown) at its top end in any conventional manner. This post,

collar that includes a short cylindrical body l8 having a radial flange H] at the bottom and diameter as the bore M in the member l3 so as also to receive the post In with a practical fit. The flange [9 has a thrust bearing turningensubstantially straight and it meets portions 29 of said opening 25, which portions have the same radius as that of the end 26. i

end of the plate associated with the plate is an; upturned flange 32 in which is a threaded hole 33 a that is aligned with the slots 3|. A wing bolt 34 is operatively engaged in said hole 33.

The locking plate 24 is so secured to the top surface of the collar |'I that while it may be moved a limited distance in one direction on said surface, it cannot be displaced therefrom in the direction of the axis of the post. To so secure the plate to the collar, I provide a pair of screws 35, each having a shank that may be passed through an associated locking plate slot 3| so as to have a threaded engagement in its associated opening 2| in the ears 20 of the collar. Each screw has an enlarged head 36 that engages the top surface of the plate and overhangs margins of the slots 3| therein. Thus the screws, in connection with the slots 3|, provide a limited guided movement for the plate on the collar, this movement being of such extent that the part 30 of the plate may be moved fully into the selected recess, as appears in Fig. 2, without removing the tongue 21 of the plate from the groove |2 in the post. This is the locking position for the plate and it is afforded by turning the wing bolt 34 in one direction and as its free end engages the head 36 of the adjacent screw 35 this draws the locking plate into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At this time the left hand ends of the slots 3| will engage the screws 35.

Should it be desired to change the seat height position of the post, it is first unlocked from the collar I! by turning the wing bolt 34 in the other direction so that it moves away from the head 36 of the adjacent bolt 35, which it before engaged, and this provides a clearance which permits the plate 24 to be moved in the other direction within the limits afforded by the slots 3| and screws 35. In this position, which is shown in Fig. 3, the tongue 21 moves further into the groove l2 and the part 30 of said plate moves out of the recess in said post, which it previously occupied. With the parts in this position the post may be raised or lowered with respect to the collar to bring the newly selected recess H in line with the locking plate 24. At this time, as the tongue 21 is engaged in the groove l2 in the post, the post cannot turn relatively to the locking plate and collar. Upon turning the wing bolt 34 in the first direction, the parts are returned to the position appearing in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the post is held against longitudinal movement, but it may, with the plate and collar, turn freely relatively to the supporting member.

I claim as my invention:

1. A seat post construction for chairs embodying therein a seat post supporting member having a vertical bearing opening therein, a seat post engaged in said opening for a turning as well as a longitudinal adjustable movement, a collar surrounding a part of said post and having a rotative thrust bearingengagement upon a part of said supporting member, coacting means on said member and collar respectively for holding the same against longitudinal separation,

said post having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses in one side thereof, a locking member having a limited sliding guided movement on said collar transversely of the axis of the post and through which said post extends, a part of said locking member being adapted to be engaged in a selected recess in said'one side of the post when said locking member is moved in one direction on said collar tolock said member and said collar to the post, coacting means on said locking member and on the opposite side of the post for preventing a relative turning movement between said collar and said post, and means carried by said locking member and adapted to be engaged with a part fixed with respect to the collar to move the locking member in the proper direction on the collar to engage said part of the locking member in said selected recess in the post.

2. A seat post construction for chairs embodying therein a seat post supporting member having a vertical bearing opening therein, a seat post engaged in said opening for a turning as well as a longitudinal adjustable movement, a collar surrounding a part of said post and having a rotative thrust bearing engagement upon a part of said supporting member, coacting means on said member and collar respectively for holding the same against longitudinal separation, said post having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses in one side thereof, a locking member having a limited sliding guided movement on said collar transversely of the axis of the post and through which said post extends, a part of said locking member being adapted to be engaged in a selected recess in said one side of the post when said locking member is moved in one direction on said collar to lock said member and said collar to the post, the post having a longitudinal groove in its opposite side and said looking member having a tongue engaged in said groove for preventing a relative turning movement between said collar and post, and means carried by said locking member and adapted to be engaged with a part fixed with respect to the collar to move said locking member in the proper direction on the collar to engage said part of the locking member in said selected recess in the post.

3. A seat post construction for chairs embodying therein a seat post supporting member having a vertical bearing opening therein, a seat post engaged in said opening for a turning as well as a longitudinal adjustable movement, a collar surrounding a part of said post and having a rotative thrust bearing engagement upon a part of said supporting member, coacting means on said member and collar respectively for holding the same against longitudinal separation, said post having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses in one side thereof, a locking member having a limited sliding guided movement on said collar transversely of the axis of said post and through which said post extends, a part of said locking member being adapted to be engaged in a selected recess in said one side of the post when said locking member is moved in one direction on said collar to lock said member to the post, means carried by said collar and engaged with the top surface of the locking member for holding the same against an upward separation from the collar, coacting means on said locking member and on the opposite side of the post preventing a relative turning movement between said member and said post, and means carried by said locking member and adapted to be engaged with said means on said collar and operative to move the locking member in the proper direction on the collar to engage said part of the locking member in said selected recess in the post.

4. A seat post construction for chairs embodying therein a seat post supporting member having a vertical bearing opening therein, a seat post engaged in said opening for a turning as well as a longitudinal adjustable movement, a collar surrounding a part of said post and having a rotative thrust bearing engagement upon a part of said supporting member, coacting means on said member and collar respectively for holding the same against longitudinal separation, said post having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses in one side thereof, a locking member engaged on said collar through which said post extends, a part of said locking member being adapted to be engaged in a selected recess in said one side of the post when said locking member is moved in one direction on said collar to lock said member to the post, coacting means on said collar and locking member respectively providing a pin and slot limited guided movement of said locking member on the collar as well as for holding the member down upon the collar in the movement of said member transversely of the post between locked and unlocked positions for the post, coacting means on said locking member and on opposite sides of said post preventing a relative turning movement between said member and said post, and means carried by said locking member and operable to move said locking member on the collar in the proper direction to engage said part of said looking member in the selected one of the recesses in the post. i

5. A seat post construction for chairs embodying therein a seat post supporting member having a vertical bearing opening therein, a seat post engaged in said opening for a turning as Well as a longitudinal adjustable movement, a collar surrounding a part of said post and having a rotative thrust bearing engagement upon a part of said supporting member, coacting means on said member and collar respectively for holding the same against longitudinal separation, said post having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses in one side thereof, a locking member engaged on said collar and through which said post extends, a part of said locking member being adapted to be engaged in a selected recess in said one side of the post when said locking member is moved in one direction on said collar to lock said member to the post, coacting means on said collar and locking member respectively providing a pin and slot limited guided movement of the member on the collar as Well as for holding the member down upon the collar in the movement of the member transversely of the collar between locked and unlocked positions for the post, the post having a longitudinal groove in its opposite side and said locking member having a tongue engaged in said groove for preventing a relative turning movement between locking member ing said locking member on the collar in the proper direction to engage said part of said looking member in the selected one of the recesses in the post.

6. A seat post construction for chairs embodying therein a seat post supporting member having a vertical bearing opening therein, a seat post engaged in said opening for a turning as Well collar surrounding a part of said post and having a rotative thrust bearing engagement upon a part of said supporting member, coacting means on said member and collar respectively for holding the same against longitudinal separation, said post having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses in one side thereof, a locking member having a limited sliding guided movement on said collar transversely of the axis of the post and through which said post extends, a part of said locking member being adapted to be engaged in a selected recess in said one side of the post when said locking member is moved in one direction on said collar to lock said member and said collar to the post, the post having a longitudinal groove in its opposite side and said having a tongue engaged in said groove for preventing a relative turning movesaid collar and post, and means carried by said locking member and adapted to be engaged with a part fixed with respect to the collar to move said locking member in the proper direction on the collar to engage said part of the locking member in said selected recess in the post, said groove having a depth greater than that of said recesses so that a part of said tongue will remain in said groove, whether said part of said locking plate is disposed in or out of a selected recess.

'7. A locking member for a chair embodying therein a plate-like body having a length greater than its width and formed at a point between its ends with an opening therein of a predetermined width and having a length greater than said width, a tongue extending inwardly from one end of said opening, the other end of said opening being arranged perpendicular to the length of said opening, there being other and elongated openings of a lesser width in the body, one arranged outwardly from each end of the first mentioned opening, one end of said body being formed with a transverse upstanding portion in which is a threaded hole arranged in line with said other and elongated openings in the body.

GLENN D. WOOD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 516,183 Bredsvold Mar. 13, 1.894 535,455 Meyer Mar. 12, 1895 1,894,743 Harter Jan. 17, 1933 as a longitudinal adjustable movement, a 

